This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Hybrid electric vehicle, or electric vehicle (“HEV/EV”) battery packs traditionally include independently sealed interfaces bolted to the outer surface of the pack to provide a sealed electrical connection to the pack. These interfaces can generally include high voltage (“HV”) connections, providing A/C or D/C power, low voltage (“LV”) connections, and service disconnect connections to isolate the pack from the rest of the vehicle so the vehicle may be serviced. The LV connections generally can include high voltage interlock loop (“HVIL”) circuits to shut off power to the HV connections. Utilizing multiple, independently housed and sealed HV connections and service disconnects requires a considerable amount of packing space, components, and physical connections. Each independent HV connector traditionally also requires a method to break an LV HVIL circuit prior to disengagement of the HV connector, which further increases the required space, components, and connections.